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Eye Infection Sidelines NBC Sports Fixture at Olympics

Feb 12, 2014  •  Post A Comment

A worsening eye infection has forced one of the regulars on the NBC Sports team to sit out coverage of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The Associated Press reports that Bob Costas missed NBC’s prime-time coverage of the Games Tuesday’s because of the infection.

Costas was expected to be out of the lineup again tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014, according to another AP story.

Matt Lauer of "Today” filled in Tuesday for Costas, after telling viewers that Costas “looked a little like a loser in a prize fight.” Costas said he couldn’t continue to host because his eyes were blurry, watery and sensitive to light. He told “Today” by telephone: "I’m walking around, I might as well be playing ‘Marco Polo.’”

Lauer is expected to fill in for Costas tonight as well.

Costas’ eye infection “seemingly got worse by night when people tuned in to watch the Winter Olympics on NBC,” writes Tim Goodman in The Hollywood Reporter. “First it was his left eye, then it spread to the right and escalated hour by hour. Pink, red, watery, glassy — and painful looking. Costas couldn’t wear contact lenses, so he wore eye glasses. That seemed to magnify the effect his eyes were having on viewers — which was, actually, kind of grossly mesmerizing.”

Goodman adds: “Two things are important here: 1) that Costas get well and 2) that he hurry back.”

Here’s a clip of the "Today" gang discussing the situation with Costas:

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2 Comments

  1. Sorry u got an eye infection but glad your sidelined. Viewers are quite tired of u anyway. How man more facelifts can u get to try to look young u old fart.

  2. COSTAS IS AN ICONIC SPORTSCASTER. NO NEED TO KICK HIM WHILE HE IS DOWN. Speedy recovery.

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